Seokchon Korean BBQ grilling order, celery pickles: Sutbul Seonghwa

In my last post I introduced a pop-up in Jamsil. My boyfriend had trudged around crowded Jamsil after me, so I took him out for beef. We went to Sutbul Seonghwa (숯불성화), a beef BBQ spot near Seokchon Station and Seokchon Lake!

It's a beef restaurant with both flavor and style, like a proper restaurant, so you can score points here on an anniversary date or a blind date. Let me introduce the place along with the dishes I recommend.

How does parking work at Sutbul Seonghwa?

Sutbul Seonghwa runs valet parking from 5 PM to 10 PM for ₩3,000. However, the parking space is small, so you may need to use nearby paid lots such as the Yuseong lot, an unmanned lot, or the Women's Culture Center lot.

Sutbul Seonghwa atmosphere: how is it different from a regular BBQ place?

From the outside, Sutbul Seonghwa sets its mood in gray and red tones, full of a charcoal-fire feel.

Maybe because they also sell whisky professionally on top of beef, the place feels like a restaurant rather than an ordinary BBQ joint, from the outside to the inside.

Private rooms, a drinks zone and the corkage event

There are also private rooms that start at 4 people and can expand up to 18, so company dinners or wedding-invitation gatherings seem possible too. One side has a separate drinks zone selling everything from whisky to wine and champagne. They were also running a free corkage event: 1 bottle for 4 people, 2 bottles for 5.

True to the name Sutbul Seonghwa, meaning a sacred flame that never stops burning, the meat is grilled over traditionally made charcoal.

Sutbul Seonghwa table setting and side dishes

We ordered the spicy snowflake jjapaguri, the Seonghwa mixed platter (snowflake beef, cubed flower rib, wine-marinated rib), and soft drinks.

After ordering, the table was set. I think side dishes matter at a good restaurant, and Sutbul Seonghwa seems to meet that standard. There's a plate with four sauces for the meat: Maldon salt, a house special salt blending four salts, fresh wasabi, and whole-grain mustard, along with

eight varied side dishes. From celery pickles I've never seen at other BBQ places to a grapefruit and water dropwort salad, the combinations are unfamiliar but fresh, and they seem to make the meat taste even better.

In what order should you grill the Seonghwa mixed platter?

Honestly, I came for the look of the cubed rib, but I wanted to try the other cuts too, so I ordered the mixed platter. It also comes with button mushrooms topped with butter.

We grilled the meat in the order the staff recommended.

• Snowflake beef
• Cubed flower rib
• Wine-marinated rib

The meat is grilled to medium rare, and it was tender, not tough. If it's your first time at Sutbul Seonghwa, ordering the mixed platter is a good way to try a bit of everything.

Side dish pick at Sutbul Seonghwa: spicy snowflake jjapaguri

The side we ordered was the spicy snowflake jjapaguri (black bean noodles mixed with spicy ramen). At ₩13,000 it's a little pricey, but it's not a waste, with Parasite-jjapaguri-level quality.

I can't handle spice, so I ordered the mild-spicy version, and it was about as hot as Shin Ramyun, just right for cutting the richness of the meat. Carbs are a must when eating meat, so if you're stuck on a side dish, give the jjapaguri a try!

The butter mushrooms my boyfriend raved about

And the mushrooms my boyfriend praised to the skies! With a little butter added, the flavor felt upscale, like a different kind of mushroom!

Free dessert at Sutbul Seonghwa: Excellent Ice Cream

Sutbul Seonghwa has a separate free dessert menu, so we ordered right after finishing our meal.

True to the name "Excellent Dessert," Excellent Ice Cream comes out. We ordered 2 to match our headcount. After a long time, the sweet treat wrapped up the meal satisfyingly!

Sutbul Seonghwa after a Seokchon Lake date: final thoughts

My boyfriend and I went on a date at Seokchon Lake and then visited Sutbul Seonghwa, a beef spot nearby. You can feel that care went into every menu item, so we ate well. I recommend it as a place that scores points for anyone looking for a Songnidan-gil restaurant, a blind date spot, or a date course!